From insane YouTube comments to a time-traveling Nazi trying to raise an army of the dead, this show has it all. “Checkmate Linconites!” — a 10-episode YouTube series running from 2019-2024 — is set on debunking the “Lost Cause” movement: The belief that the Confederacy seceded from the Union on the issue of states rights and not slavery.
The series becomes more unhinged as it progresses, while the two main characters, Billy Yank and Johnny Reb, both played by Atun-Shei Films founder Andrew Rakich, engage in a Socratic dialogue, debating and debunking the “Lost Cause.” The series presents a mountain of evidence while making the audience laugh in the process.
Rakich, a YouTuber and independent filmmaker, focuses on historical and satirical content, such as “Checkmate Lincolnites!” or “A Frozen ’50s Man.” Rakich’s channel started out with movie reviews, but has since progressed into the realms of historical content and political commentary.
Billy Yank, the hard-drinking, cool-headed Unionist, plays the voice of reason and the “friend” of Johnny Rebb, the misguided, racist Southern gentleman who defends the Lost Cause like an alligator whose teeth are firmly locked onto the leg of a bird it has in a death roll.
Even though the same actor plays both characters, they are quite distinct. Billy Yank closely resembles Rakich’s personality, but when pushed, has moments of heated anger when he’s had enough of his counterpart, whereas Johnny Reb is a character pulled from history. In the first episode, Johnny is much more extreme and ends up getting shot.
As the series picks up, Rakich chooses to play Johnny as more ignorant than malicious. The characters feed off each other, engaging in fun and informative banter that keeps the audience entertained. One of the more hilarious aspects of the series involves the period-correct, reenacted viewer comments spread throughout each episode that attempt to defend the Lost Cause.
Look out for the “whataboutism” drinking game in this series that, if kept up with, will utterly destroy the participants. Also, don’t miss Klaus the Nazi archaeologist — also played by Rakinch — who is integral to the plot that slowly builds to the end.
At first, there doesn’t seem to be a plot, especially with the shorter runtime during the earlier episodes, but as Klaus continues to reappear and the runtimes increase, it becomes clear that something is going on behind the scenes. It takes the audience on a wild ride that smacks one in the face with its hysterical absurdity.
Satire is one of the best teachers, which is why this series works. A show with Rakich simply lecturing about the factual history of the Civil War would be a total slog and puts the audience to sleep halfway through. The series works because Rakich understands that comedy balances the grim reality of history.
The one key critique is that the series is mostly filmed on one set, which gets repetitive and stale. However, it makes sense to do this as it would be difficult to get the same lighting for both characters elsewhere. You can find his channel here or find his movie, “The Sudberry Devil,” on Amazon. “Checkmate Linconites!” is a beautiful show where you will learn the truth of the United States dirty laundry while laughing all the way through.
